Binded – U.S. Copyright Office Registration Image Blockchain?

Binded is a blockchain-based copyright platform that just launched a one-click US copyright registration. Find out how the technology works today in our review.

What Is Binded?

Binded, formerly known as Blockai, is a blockchain-based copyright platform. Since launching in 2016, Binded has allowed photographers to upload photos of their work to the Binded blockchain, creating an immutable copyright of their work through a timestamped record.

Binded made headlines earlier this week for launching a new one-click US copyright registration service. With a single click, you can register a legal US copyright. It makes the process 10 times simpler and comes with no extra fee. The fee of $35 to $55 is clearly listed upfront before you click the “Submit” button.

The long-term goal of Binded is to make blockchain-based copyright registrations the standard protection used by photographers and legal systems around the world. By registering copyrights through the Blockchain, Binded can minimize costs and virtually eliminate a middleman.

How Does Binded’s One Click Copyright Work?

The one click copyright is straightforward to use. As the company promises, it truly does make the copyright process 10 times simpler. It’s also cheaper than other services.

Binded has built its copyright service to compete with alternatives like LegalZoom. LegalZoom charges a minimum fee of $114 for a virtually identical copyright registration process.

Meanwhile, the US Copyright Office has its own Electronic Copyright Office (eCO) website that lets you register your copyright online – but the process takes quite a few clicks and the website feels like it’s a relic from the 1990s.

To be clear, Binded’s one click copyright service takes between 1 to 4 clicks, depending on if you count payment information and checkmarks. The form can be completed in (literally) 10 seconds.

So what’s the catch? Binded’s copyright platform requires you to register for and submit your photos through its free platform. After your photos are uploaded onto the Binded blockchain (which has its own copyright system), you’ll be able to fill out the copyright registration form quickly. You still have full copyright over your images on the Binded blockchain.

Here’s the crazy thing about Binded: if you’re just copyrighting one photo, you only pay the $35 fee charged by the US Copyright Office. There’s no added fee.

If you’re copyrighting a batch of photos, you’ll pay $55. There’s no limit on the number of photos that can be included in the batch.

How Does Binded Use Blockchain Technology?

Binded only recently introduced the one click copyright platform. Previously, the company didn’t work with the US Copyright Office to copyright photos: it just copyrighted photos through its blockchain platform.

Binded used blockchain technology in an interesting way: photographers could import their photos to the service to claim copyright on them. Then, Binded would create a unique “fingerprint” for each photo uploaded to the platform. A permanent record of that fingerprint would be added to the bitcoin blockchain.

If there is ever a copyright dispute with one of your photos, you can point to the immutable, timestamped record on the bitcoin blockchain to prove your ownership.

How To Use Binded’s One Click Copyright

The entire interface is sleek and easy to use. It works similar to uploading photos on Facebook. You upload the photos, then take a minute to review each one. You can view attached metadata, or change the data yourself. You can also pick and choose which photos you wish to register with the US Copyright Office. You’ll need to check a box certifying that you’re the author or owner of the images being uploaded.

Once you’ve done that, you enter your payment information. You can pay through credit cards and other traditional payment methods. Once you hit the “Pay” button, Binded will handle the registration for you, and then you’ll receive a confirmation record from the US Copyright Office. After a standard 6 to 8 month application process is complete, you’ll receive an official government certificate proving your copyright.

About Binded

Binded originally launched in March 2016 under the name “Blockai”. In May 2017, the company rebranded to Binded. The goal of the company remains the same: to use the bitcoin blockchain to protect copyrights for photographers.

In May, along with announcing the rebrand, the company announced it had raised another $950,000 in funding, increasing its total funding up to $1.5 million.

As of May 2017, Binded claimed that 10 million copyright records were formed through its servers.

Binded One Click Copyright Pricing

Binded has announced that it will always be free. The company will not charge users any fees to copyright photos through their blockchain.

However, Binded’s new one click copyright comes with fees from the US Copyright Office. You pay $35 to copyright one photo or $55 to copyright a batch of photos (unlimited number of photos):

How will Binded make money if they never plan to charge any fees? The company plans to monetize itself by creating value for customers and keeping a “fair piece” of that value, according to a report on PetaPixel.com.

Binded Conclusion

Binded is a blockchain-based copyrighting platform that recently introduced a one click copyright feature. The core Binded feature is to allow photographers to copyright their photos by uploading them onto the Binded blockchain. Binded’s new service allows photographers to copyright photos with the US Copyright Office at no extra charge.

Photographers only pay a $35 or $55 fee, significantly less than the $110+ fee charged by online copyright services like LegalZoom.

You can check out Binded’s unique copyright service for yourself online today at Binded.com/copyright

1 COMMENT

“If there is ever a copyright dispute with one of your photos, you can point to the immutable, timestamped record on the bitcoin blockchain to prove your ownership.“

Make sure you point hard.

The only thing that proves copyright ownership are the facts and circumstances surrounding creation the image not this stupid “registration” to a blockchain.

Registration with the US Copyright Office within 5 years of creation of the image is prima facie evidence of ownership but it can be rebutted because, again, at the end of the day it is the facts and circumstances surrounding creation the image that proves ownership.